Thymalin lyophilisate for injection 10 mg, 10 ampoules: profile, composition and research
Reference page for Thymalin lyophilisate for injection 10 mg, 10 ampoules. Active substance: Тималин (пептиды тимуса) / Thymalin (thymus peptides).
- What it is: Thymalin, a peptide bioregulator based on polypeptides obtained from thymus tissue.
- Presentation: lyophilisate for injection solution, 10 mg per ampoule, 10 ampoules per pack.
- Status: prescription-only medicine given by intramuscular injection.
- Research: work on blood formation and cellular immunity, links below.
- Where to buy: APV Pharmacy (price and availability there).
Key facts
| Active principle | Complex of low-molecular-weight thymus peptides |
|---|---|
| Form | Lyophilisate for injection solution |
| Strength | 10 mg per ampoule |
| Pack size | 10 ampoules |
| Route | Intramuscular |
| Category | Prescription medicine |
| Article (SKU) |
What Thymalin is
Thymalin is a medicine whose active principle is obtained from bovine thymus tissue. It is a complex of short protein fragments, low-molecular-weight polypeptides. It comes as a lyophilisate: a dry powder in an ampoule from which an injection solution is prepared immediately before use. A pack holds 10 ampoules of 10 mg each.
The thymus is the organ where T-lymphocytes mature and are selected. How well it works shapes the ability of the immune system to tell foreign material from the body's own. Its activity declines gradually with age and also after severe infections, radiation, prolonged stress and courses of chemotherapy.
Thymalin belongs to the bioregulators. It does not introduce a foreign stimulant; it replenishes a shortage of the body's own thymic peptides, which take part in lymphocyte maturation.
How Thymalin works
The T-cell compartment
The medicine supports the maturation of T-lymphocyte precursors and their conversion into functional subpopulations: T-helper cells (CD4+), cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+) and regulatory T cells. The balance between them shapes the overall state of cellular immunity.
Phagocytosis
Enhanced engulfing and bactericidal activity of macrophages and neutrophils has been reported, that is of the cells that meet a pathogen first.
Interferons
Thymalin influences the synthesis of the body's own alpha and gamma interferons, which is linked to antiviral defence.
Repair processes
Publications describe faster tissue healing and recovery of bone marrow after radiation and chemotherapy.
Approved uses
The prescribing information lists conditions united by impaired immune function: primary and secondary immunodeficiencies with a predominant T-cell component, and the age-related decline in immunity.
Among infectious indications it names prolonged and chronic viral diseases (herpes, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus), frequently recurring bacterial infections of the ENT organs and airways, pulmonary tuberculosis as part of combination treatment, and chronic hepatitis B and C.
In oncology the medicine is considered as a means of immune rehabilitation after courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Purulent and septic processes, extensive burns and frostbite, recovery after trauma and surgery, long-standing non-healing wounds and chronic skin conditions are listed separately.
This is a reference description. The specific list of indications is set by a physician after examination, not by a website page.
What the publications show
Much of the work on Thymalin appeared in specialised and Russian-language journals, which is worth keeping in mind when judging the evidence base. A number of studies were done on cell cultures and animals rather than in large patient groups.
A separate line of research examines the KE and EW dipeptides contained in the medicine and their effect on gene expression. Other publications look at how Thymalin acts on blood-forming cells and on tumours in experimental models.
Published research
Primary sources, verified against PubMed:
- Thymalin: Activation of Differentiation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells., PubMed 33237528 (Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine, 2020).
- Effect of Thymalin on the Tumor and Thymus under Conditions of Activation Therapy In Vivo., PubMed 29797130 (Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine, 2018).
- The Influence of KE and EW Dipeptides in the Composition of the Thymalin Drug on Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Involved in the Pathogenesis of COVID-19., PubMed 37686182 (International journal of molecular sciences, 2023).
- [Geroprotective effect of thymalin and epithalamin]., PubMed 12577695 (Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii, 2002).
Listed for reference. Publication of a study is not a claim about this particular product.
Precautions
- This is a prescription medicine. Prescribing, dosing and monitoring belong to a physician.
- It is not used in case of hypersensitivity to the components or in atopic bronchial asthma because of the risk of allergic reactions.
- The medicine is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding: there are no clinical safety data.
- Autoimmune conditions in an acute flare require a separate decision and supervision by a doctor.
- Allergic reactions, soreness, redness and induration at the injection site, and a short rise in temperature are possible.
- The solution is prepared immediately before use and is not stored.
- Tell your doctor about every other medicine you take: interactions are possible.
Frequently asked
Is Thymalin a prescription medicine?
Yes. It is a prescription injectable and is not intended for use on one's own.
Why does this page not give a dosing schedule?
The dose and the length of the course depend on the diagnosis and the patient's condition. That is a physician's decision, not a reference page's.
How should the lyophilisate be stored?
In a dry, light-protected place at no more than 25 C. The prepared solution cannot be stored.
Where does the order ship from?
Shipping and customs handling are described on the APV Pharmacy delivery page.